Price £152,900
MPG 25.9
Top speed 191mph
A tap on my shoulder: “Got any blow?” It’s my friend Byron, a large and garrulous fellow. I’m in my local Sainsbury’s and have no idea what he’s talking about.
“Oh come on – some snow, some snort…” Total blank. “Oh for heaven’s sake, some cocaine?” He looks a bit cross. I look a bit mystified. There’s a long pause, then he bursts out laughing and indicates the new “Dragon red” Bentley GT V8 S Convertible parked outside. “I just presumed you must have become a dealer,” he says.
Well actually, no, I haven’t broken bad, but Byron does have a point. This arresting Bentley is a head-swivellingly stunning car. It arrives with quiet menace, like a killer whale drifting into a pool of wet-eyed baby seals. Its vast sculpted flanks, 20in double-spoke alloys with glinting brake callipers and little rimless headlights mean it oozes a sort of louche danger. It stands out in a crowd like a mafia don at a Women’s Institute craft evening.
And that’s all before you even turn the engine on. Beneath the bulging bonnet idles a 4-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 engine that bangs out 521bhp. It’s so powerful it will push this car, which when loaded with luggage and four occupants weighs the best part of three tonnes, to a top speed of 191mph (although you do have to shut the roof at that speed – its coupé sister pips it by managing 192mph). Both cars rocket from zero to 60mph in 4.5 seconds. The power arrives in such an overwhelming and unstoppable flood – it sweeps over you like a waterfall over a rock shelf – that it makes you gasp. And the noise… It’s so deep, so shudderingly resonant, that you imagine they must have tuned into a 64ft organ pipe from the nearest cathedral.
But Bentley has fallen out of favour as a ride of choice for the hard men of the street. It still has its fans among the footballing fraternity, minor European royalty and home county golfers, but the dealers and gangsters have moved on. As Marvin, a trainee journalist at the Observer, explained to me: “Today’s gangster has had to adapt. He doesn’t want hassle from the police, and a Bentley catches the eye. You are never pulled over in a Prius, and you can park a Smart car where you want.”
Whether you are a gangster or a golfer, no one will dispute the sheer class of this luxury convertible. It delivers significant improvements in performance over the original Continental V8. It is faster, lower, more aerodynamic, more economical (well, relatively) and has tighter suspension and improved handling. Inside there is the expected wealth of leather and chrome detailing – the veneers are sanded and lacquered up to 18 times. There is a wonderful mix of the ancient (organ-stop air vents) and the modern (a multipurpose 8in infotainment touch screen). With the four-ply soft top neatly tucked into the secondary boot, the refinement of the drive is gobsmacking. Put the wind-deflector up and you can hurtle down the motorway without your partner’s hair doing its best Don King impression. The cabin’s ambience is so quiet you almost expect to hear the ice-on-crystal clink of a civilised cocktail party. And the strange thing is that the faster you go, the harder you push the car, the better the drive seems to get.
I’ve heard older motorists talk of buying a “see-me-out” car – something safe and reliable to see out their driving days. This Bentley is more of six-weeks-to-live car: sell the house, buy one of these in red or yellow or sapphire and blast into the sunset in style. I often get asked: “What’s the best car you have ever driven?” And I never quite know what to say. Now I think I do…
Increasing Britain’s road-safety awareness
In recent years we have seen an increase in fraudulent insurance claims such as “crash for cash” which are costing the UK £2.1bn a year and adding approximately £50 to everyone’s insurance premium. Last year 183,000 road accidents were reported in the UK, and while Britain’s road safety standards are improving, there is still more we can do to make sure Britain’s drivers are acting responsibly and protecting themselves while out on the road. Many motorists consider themselves to be safe drivers, but it is often unexpected events that can catch us out. So, to offer you some advice on how best to cope in these situations and to help you stay safe on the roads is British racing driver and Fifth Gear presenter Tiff Needell has made a short film. It’s certainly worth a look.
The Cycle Show cranks up the excitement
The Cycle Show at the NEC, Birmingham on Friday 26 to Sunday 28 September will be a gathering of the biggest road, mountain, electric, cyclocross and BMX cycling brands in the world, and visitors can get their hands on the latest products, test-ride bikes and speak to industry experts. This year, however, there’s even more going on: Britain’s most successful Olympian, Sir Chris Hoy, will attend on the Friday, featuring in a live question and answer session with ITV’s Tour de France reporter, Ned Boulting, and signing autographs on the Science in Sport stand. There’ll also be action-packed competitions including the Sam Pilgrim Big Air dirt-jumping contest and elite cyclocross races set to entertain everyone.
In the first major dirt jumping competition to be staged in the UK since 2007, current World Champion Sam Pilgrim has invited an elite line-up of home-grown and international riders to compete over the three days of The Cycle Show on a specially designed course inside the NEC.
If the jumping promises to be spectacular, then the cyclocross races on the Sunday are going to be fast and furious. Featuring both men’s and women’s races, this fast-growing discipline in cycling takes in tarmac and off-road elements to provide a real test for the riders.
“These live competitions are only one part of the show though,” says Chris Holman, event director at organisers Upper Street Events. “There will be 250 stands and thousands of brands showcasing their latest bikes, kit, gadgets and plenty more. The Cycle Show has something to offer everyone.”
Adult tickets are priced at £13 per person when booked in advance, while children aged 14 and under can attend for just £1 each with an accompanying adult. Concession prices are also available to students and those over 65, with all tickets including access to the competitions. To buy tickets or for more information on The Cycle Show 2014, visit cycleshow.co.uk
Email Martin at martin.love@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter @MartinLove166
